Heart Ball to raise money for scholarships, heart health

February 17, 2011

PARKERSBURG - A few tickets remain for the 2011 St. Joseph's Heart Ball on Saturday at the Blennerhassett Hotel in downtown Parkersburg.

This year's theme is "Denim & Diamonds: A Wild West Event."

The event, now in its 14th year, will be 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Blennerhassett Hotel at Fourth and Market streets.

Tickets are $75 per person or a table of eight is $575. Less than 40 of the 200 available tickets remained available this week and are only available by calling the hospital at (304) 424-4506. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Tickets to the Heart Ball allow entrance to the event, all the activities, food and two drink tickets. The Blennerhassett Hotel is offering special room rates for those wishing to spend the night at the hotel after the Heart Ball. Reservations are available by calling the hotel directly at (304) 422-3131.

There will be music, line dancing, a silent auction and other activities - like panning for gold and a cornhole contest - in conjunction with the Wild West theme, with music provided by DJ Curt. The Parkersburg Actors Guild will have members present in theme garb and character roles.

The Heart Ball began in 1998, and since that first event, more than $210,000 has been raised and returned to the community in funding for health careers and scholarships, heart education, wellness activities and cardiac equipment.

The list of organizations that have benefited from Heart Ball funds grows each year. The Heart Ball has funded AEDs (life-saving automatic external defibrillators) for the cities of Parkersburg and Belpre, St. Joseph's Ambulance Service, the Parkersburg YMCA and Parkersburg Catholic, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Williamstown and Belpre high schools.

Since 2007, proceeds from the event have been going to the Francis DeSales Health Foundation, a 501c3 organization that continues the mission of Heart Ball by supporting health activities and cardiac wellness in the community.